Wynonna Talks New Album: ‘This Is The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done And The Best Thing I've Ever Done’ [Interview]

After more than four decades of making music, Wynonna is telling her story in a way she never has…

On The Hard Truth , out today via ANTI-Records, the legendary Country Music Hall of Famer turns some of the most personal experiences of her life into song, looking back at where she came from while confronting the complicated relationships, loss and change that have shaped her along the way. The 10-track project also finds Wynonna taking a different approach creatively, writing much of the record for the first time alongside her husband and producer, Cactus Moser .

Five years in the making, The Hard Truth became a deeply personal project for Wynonna, but it started much more simply, with a conversation between her and Moser about her biological father, whom she never met.

“When they found him, he was sitting on the couch with his groceries,” she tells MusicRow . “They, unfortunately, were a week late. They went through his house and found a drawer full of clippings. Obviously, he had cut out things that he had seen in the tabloids as well as regular articles. I said something to Cactus about it, and he said, ‘That's a song.’”

From there, everyday conversations between Wynonna and Moser over morning coffee and date nights continued to provide inspiration for the project.

“We just took off from there,” she recalls. “We just kept writing. I was going through things with my daughter being in prison, adopting her daughter, taking care of her. All these conversations just hit at the same time, and I went, ‘Holy moly. What am I doing? Because it's a lot.’”

Rather than shy away from the more difficult parts of her story, Wynonna found a place for them in the music, allowing the experiences she was living through to shape the record as it continued to unfold. “A lot of people go through this stuff,” she says. “And when you do, it's hell on Earth. What do you do with that? You take it, and you turn your pain into purpose. And that's what I did.”

As the songs began to take shape, so did the identity of the record. It was Moser who eventually put a name to what they were creating. “He said, ‘This is the hard truth.’ And I went, ‘You're absolutely right. This is the hardest thing I've ever done. And the best thing I've ever done. If I never make another record again, this is it.’”

That same conviction extended to how Wynonna wanted the record to sound. “I knew in my spirit I wanted something so unique that it set me apart from the norm,” she explains. “I've always strived to be unique and different, and I think I've done something worthwhile.”

Among the album’s 10 tracks, Wynonna is particularly excited for listeners to hear “Broken and Blessed,” a song she describes as an opportunity to share her testimony.

“It’s like me standing in front of the church saying ‘Hi, I’m Wynonna and I’m a recovering entertainer,’” she says. “I can talk about things like how much I love my mom, how much I've forgiven her and how I'm not a victim. I'm a victor. In the song, it says, ‘I'm somewhere between hell and hallelujah.’ And that's where I'm at pretty much every day.”

That same perspective carries into “Love Ain’t Got the Best of Me,” which draws from her experiences navigating complicated relationships and her determination not to let them change the way she loves.

“‘Love Ain’t Got the Best of Me’ is me standing up saying, ‘I'm never gonna quit loving. I'm never gonna quit caring and making casseroles for people. I'm never gonna stop cooking for the people I love and singing to the people I love,’” she explains. “I wanted to stand there and say, ‘Look, I've been through hell, and yet, I'm not bitter about it.’”

Ultimately, Wynonna hopes the honesty woven throughout The Hard Truth can offer something to listeners facing difficult seasons of their own.

“Peace is the goal. It's a simple plan, but not an easy one,” she says. “Choosing life. And it will get better if you continue to do the next right thing.”

More than anything, she hopes listeners can hear her story and recognize some of their own strength within it.

“I want people to take away from it: 'if Wynonna can do it, so can I.'”

Wynonna will kick off her “ The Hard Truth Tour ” on Oct. 8 at New York’s Bowery Ballroom. The 15-date run will make stops in Texas, Oklahoma, the Carolinas, Ohio and more.